


Open for Christmas

by FestiveFerret



Series: Open For Christmas [1]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Christmas Eve, Explicit Sexual Content, First Meetings, Get Together, M/M, Steve is stranded, Tony is a small town mechanic, mechanic!Tony Stark, middle of nowhere
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2019-02-19 11:05:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13122426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FestiveFerret/pseuds/FestiveFerret
Summary: It was Christmas fucking Eve, in the middle of fucking nowhere, and his car was completely fucking dead.Fuck.





	Open for Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Cap Iron Man Community](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Cap+Iron+Man+Community).



> Fill for the Community Gifts prompt: _Tony the mechanic helps a stranded Steve on Christmas Eve_

Steve braced both hands on the top of the car and sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth. He tried counting to ten. He tried tipping his forehead down until it met cool metal. He tried looking on the bright side.

Nope.

 _“Fuck!”_ he yelled at the empty road.

Okay, that helped.

It was Christmas fucking Eve, in the middle of fucking nowhere, and his car was completely fucking dead. Fuck.

Steve leaned forward and banged his head against the car a few times. The rain had started in earnest about an hour ago, and he could feel it seeping through his jacket and soaking his skin, but he didn’t want to sit in the car anymore, fuming and pointlessly trying to get it to start. He’d opened the hood, but he knew nothing about cars, so that hadn’t helped. An icy raindrop trickled down the back of his collar, and he shivered. It was just cold enough to be awful, but not cold enough to turn the rain to snow. Looked like the people of Wherever-The-Fuck-He-Was, Maryland wouldn’t be getting a white Christmas this year.

And he would be spending his Christmas stranded on the side of the road, apparently. He slipped back in the car and turned on the heat for a moment, until his hands thawed. He clearly needed to call someone, because he couldn’t spend the whole night in his car in this weather. It was only going to get colder as night hit and while his battery still worked, it would drain eventually and then he’d have no heat and no safety lights.

He pulled out his cell phone and poked at it absentmindedly for a moment, wishing he’d had the money to put data on it this month. He’d never broken down before - he’d never road-tripped this far from home before - who did you call? 911? Triple-A? He didn’t have an account with them, would they even come out?

He didn’t notice the other car approaching until it was level with him, blocking the light and making him jump as the shadow fell across his lap. He looked over and a sleek, black Audi had pulled up alongside his car. He stepped out as the driver lowered his passenger window. He was wearing a suit, driving the most expensive car Steve had ever seen, and had his perfectly groomed, dark hair slicked back. He cocked an eyebrow. “Car trouble?”

“Yes, sir, ‘fraid so. Any chance you know who I could call for help around here? With the holiday and all…” Steve trailed off, shifting uncomfortably. The man had a sharp, piercing stare that was making Steve feel judged. Or maybe he was just feeling sensitive, after what he’d just been through.

Then the man smiled. “Ah, yeah. Stark’s will be open. That man doesn’t know how to take a day off.” He turned his engine off and pulled out his phone. “I’ll call for you.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much.” Steve hovered in the rain while the man typed a number into his phone. He wanted to sit in his car again, but it seemed rude to holler through two open windows when this driver had been kind enough to stop for him.

“I got a live one for you Pepper,” the man said into the phone. “Stark in?” He listened for a moment then laughed. “Yeah, about two miles down Rennet Road, just past the bridge.” He turned to Steve. “Does it start at all?” Steve shook his head. “Nope, dead,” he said into the phone.”Alright. Thanks dear.” He hung up, then turned back to Steve. “They’re sending the tow. Do you want a ride into town, or to wait here? It’s pretty cold.”

“Thanks, but I’ll wait here.”

“Alright. I can wait with you?” he offered, but Steve could tell he was eager to be on his way. Now that he looked, he could see the backseat was full of presents. This man was on his way to be with his family.

“No, no that’s fine. You’ve done enough. Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

“Sure.” The man read out Stark’s number, and Steve typed it in his phone, in case the tow didn’t show, then he started his engine again. “Merry Christmas,” he said, almost apologetically, with another glance at Steve’s car-shaped paperweight.

Steve smiled and shook his head. “Merry Christmas.” The man drove off.

Thankfully, it was only about twenty minutes before the road rumbled with the arriving tow truck. The truck swung around then pulled up in front of Steve, stopping in the middle of the road without a care. Steve figured since he’d seen a grand total of one other driver in the hour he’d been out here, that really wouldn’t be a problem. A burly man wearing dark-sunglasses despite the gloomy weather hopped down from the driver’s seat, and Steve came out to greet him.

“Got a bit of trouble?” the man asked, extending his hand to shake.

Steve took it. “Yeah. She died on me completely. The battery turns on, but the engine won’t turn over.” He added, “Steve,” as they shook.

“You can call me Happy. Let’s get her up and off to the garage. We’ll get you fixed up.”

“Thank you so much. I really appreciate you coming out on a holiday afternoon like this.”

The man waved a hand dismissively. “Couldn’t leave you stranded on Christmas Eve. Here, pop her in neutral and give me a hand with this.”

Together, they got the car up on the winch at the back of the truck. Steve climbed up into the passenger seat, then turned around to watch as they pulled away, his car towed along behind. He sighed.

“Don’t worry, she’s not going anywhere!” Happy joked, and Steve turned back with a blush.

“Actually, I was kind of thinking how satisfying it would be to see her roll off the truck and into a ditch,” he admitted.

Happy laughed, then turned up the heat full blast. The vents were too loud to talk over, but Steve didn’t realize how cold he had been until he started to thaw. He leaned back in his seat and let the heat wash over him. It wasn’t long before they hit the main street of the tiny town and pulled up in front of a long, low building that faced onto the street. Steve could see a back lot filled with cars as they pulled past the side of the building. There was a front office, followed by two large garage doors, both of which were wide open.

Happy rumbled up to the curb then paused, idling. “Look, Tony’s a great guy, but - uh - just watch yourself, alright?”

Steve's eyebrows shot up. What did that mean?

“I don’t mean, not like -” Happy sighed, then rolled his eyes. “He has a good heart but he tends to steamroll over people in the most affectionate way possible.” He turned to get out of the truck and Steve could swear he heard Happy mutter, “And you’re his type,” as he pushed out.

**

The first thing Steve saw of Tony Stark was his ass.

And, well, holy fuck. He was bent over the front bumper of a car, top half buried in the engine. His ratty, stained jeans slung low on his hips, and despite the crisp weather, Steve caught a flash of bare arms. The man pushed up on his toes to reach for something and the muscles in his lower back went taunt. Steve swallowed.

He realized he’d stopped at the edge of the garage when Happy brushed past him and shot him a look. “Hey, Tony!” Happy called over the loud music that filled the garage.

Tony straightened up, half-turned, then set his tools down and grabbed a cloth. He turned all the way around, wiping his hands off. His eyes flicked from Happy, to Steve. They darkened. “Well,” he drawled. “I knew I was a good boy this year.” He grinned at Happy. “Thanks, Santa.”

Happy rolled his eyes. “Play nice.” He held out his clipboard, and Tony signed something. Happy trotted back to the truck. It revved up and Tony’s gaze drifted back to Steve, who still couldn’t seem to make his feet move.

Tony was nothing short of gorgeous. His slightly curly hair was stuck up in wild waves on his head, pushed back by a pair of welding goggles on his forehead. He was wearing a black, fitted tank top that revealed smooth, shapely arms. He tossed the cloth aside and pulled the goggles off, setting them on top. His hands were… Steve worked on breathing and suppressing the blush that was rapidly burning its way up his spine.

Tony smirked and held out a finger, crooking it towards him. Steve stumbled forward towards the gesture. “You can sit here, gorgeous,” Tony said, leading Steve towards a tall stool by the side door. “Wouldn’t want a work of art like you to get run over.” He winked, and Steve realized that Happy was backing his car into the garage, right over the spot where Steve had been standing.

Now that he was inside, he understood Tony’s lack of sleeves. The heat was on full blast to counteract the large, open doors, and it was warm and cozy inside the garage. Steve rubbed a hand through his wet hair, encouraging it to dry in the heat. He watched as Happy and Tony maneuvered his car into the garage, then Happy drove off. They’d rolled it in nose first, so it faced the inside of the garage, nose to nose with the car Tony had been working on when Steve arrived. Steve expected him to finish with the other car first, but he popped Steve’s hood right away.

“So what happened?” he asked, all air of flirtation evaporated from his voice. He reached out and ran his fingers over a few spots on the engine block, poking, muttering to himself.

“It - uh - it was working and then it wasn’t.” Steve shrugged. “Sorry, I don't know anything about cars. It died on me, while it was running, and then it wouldn’t start again. The battery turns on, but the engine won’t turn over.”

“Hmm.” Tony’s attention was fully on the car now, and Steve breathed a sigh of relief. Not that he hadn’t enjoyed Tony’s gaze, the low purr in his voice, but it was a little… overwhelming. And definitely not what he had been expecting.

Now that the focus was off him, Steve took a moment to consider the shop and the mechanic who seemed to own it. The garage was filled to the brim with cars, car parts, tools, and… things. There was what looked like an engine crane against the corner, but it was more high-tech than any engine crane Steve had ever seen before - not that he had seen many of them - and there were no straps hanging from the claw end of its arm.

The shop had a cozy, lived-in feel that suggested Tony had been here for a long time, and a haphazard arrangement to that suggested he didn’t share the space with anyone else. He was older than Steve, but not by much, maybe 30, 31. Just a couple years at the most. He was dirty from work, and his hands were rough and calloused, dark lines of engine oil crisscrossing through his cracked skin. Steve desperately wanted to know what those hands would feel like on him.

And how was that for a line of thought? He was stranded in - actually he still had no idea where he was - and his car was dead and he wasn’t going to make it back home for a Christmas he was going to spend alone anyway. Everything sucked and all he could think about, apparently, was, well, sucking things. He huffed out a frustrated breath, and Tony tipped his face up.

“You alright?”

“Oh, yeah, sorry. I’m fine. Just. You know. Long day.”

“Can I get you something? Do you want - Pepper!” Tony hollered towards the door, and Steve noticed that there was a small window above where he was sitting, and it was cracked open. A moment later a woman with long, bright orange hair, poked her head through the side door.

“What?”

“This guy needs - sorry what was your name?” Tony asked.

“Uh, Steve, and I don’t -”

“Steve needs, like coffee or something. The glacier he brought in with him is melting all over the floor and he needs thawing.”

Steve looked down at the floor and sure enough, there was a small puddle around his feet. He’d been wetter than he realized. “Sorry. But no, I don’t -”

“Coffee? Tea? Hot chocolate?” the woman - Pepper, asked kindly.

“I -” Steve started to refuse again, but then, actually… “Tea would be nice. If you don’t mind.”

“Of course not.” She smiled at him, then turned to Tony again. “Then I’m out of here, it’s almost four, Tony.”

Tony waved a hand in her general direction. He’d stuffed his face back in the guts of Steve’s car. “Yeah, yeah. Go on home and boink my best friend. I’m sure he got you something expensive and glittery for Christmas.”

She laughed. “I’m sure he did.” Pepper disappeared back through the door and all was silent for a while. Tony continued to poke away, and Steve wrapped his arms around his middle and tried to think warm thoughts.

Pepper reappeared and held out a steaming mug which he clutched gratefully with both hands. She had her coat on now, and she walked over to the car and leaned down to kiss Tony on the cheek. “Merry Christmas, Mr. Stark.” She made it sound like a pet name.

He grinned at her. “Merry Christmas, Miss Potts.”

Steve felt like he was intruding on a personal moment so he dropped his eyes down to his mug. If Tony hadn’t mentioned her and his best friend, he’d assume the two of them were together. There was definitely a strong connection there, and that only reminded Steve how horrifically alone he was right now.

He should have accepted Bucky’s invitation to go to Natasha’s family Christmas with him. Third wheeling sucked, but surely it was still better than being alone? Of course, he hadn’t thought he was going to be alone… he thought he was going to be in Virginia. His heart clenched painfully, and he swallowed hard and pushed those thoughts away. Nothing he could do now. It looked like at best he was going to be making his way back into Brooklyn for a Christmas morning alone in his crappy apartment, or at worst he’d be stuck in some roadside motel here with an unfixable car and no money to get another one.

Steve zoned out for a while, he wasn’t really sure how long, but he startled back into the present with a loud clang. He looked up, and Tony was looking at him sheepishly, a wrench on the floor by his feet. “Oops, sorry. You were half nodded off there, I didn't mean to scare you.”

“No, no, that’s fine. How’s it going?”

Tony frowned. Not a good sign. “Well, not great, to be honest. Your timing belt is basically fucked. It managed not to take the engine with it, but the fix is going to take a while. I think I have the right parts…”

Shit, Steve couldn’t ask him to work all evening on Christmas Eve. “It can wait. I mean, I can find a place to stay and you can - I’m sure you have holiday stuff you want to get home to. I appreciate you even taking a look.”

Tony waved a hand dismissively. “Pff, I’ve got nowhere to be. I don’t have any family around here, and none I’d care to see anyway, and all my friends have their own things going on. I’d rather get my good samaritan award for the year and get you off in time to get where you’re going.” Tony smirked, and Steve’s mind wrapped around “get you off” and wouldn’t let go.

“Uh -” he tried to kick-start his brain again. “I’m not - I’m not really headed anywhere. I mean, I don’t have plans. I did - but yeah, I’m just… going home.”

Tony picked the wrench up off the floor and started unscrewing something. “Plans got cancelled?”

“Well. Sort of.” Steve considered leaving it there - I mean, he barely knew this guy, did he really want to pour out his whole life story? But Tony gave him an encouraging look before turning back to the car, and Steve found his mouth opening. “My, uh, my mom died a few years ago, and she was all the family I had. So for a few years I spent the holidays with my best friend, but then he got a girlfriend and I didn’t want to crash their Christmas. So, I was going to spend it alone, but then a family member I didn’t even know I had - my dad’s half-sister - found me on Facebook. We got to talking, and she invited me to their dinner, in Virginia. It was too long a ride on my bike, but I wanted to meet the last few pieces of family I had left, so I scraped together some cash and bought this piece of shit, figuring it only had to get me to Virginia and back, and then I could sell it for scrap metal.”

Steve paused, swirling the dregs of his tea around in his cup. “I got there two days ago. It didn’t go well, though, so I decided to come home.”

Tony took off the cap he’d been unscrewing and set it on the floor. He gave Steve a sympathetic look. “Ah, sorry.” There was an awkward pause, then Tony cleared his throat. “So you usually ride a bike, huh?”

“Yeah, I have a Street 750. Should have brought her instead, after all. I’d freeze my balls off, but at least she wouldn’t crap out on me.”

Tony chuckled. “So, home is Brooklyn, right?”

“Yeah, how’d you know?”

“You have quite the accent, gorgeous.” Tony winked, his eyes twinkling. And _whoop_ there went Steve’s stomach again.

Before he could gather his jaw up off the floor, there was a scuffle outside - a stomping and clanging - and then a kid appeared, maybe 15-16 years old, his arms full of… something. “Mr. Stark!” he called, barrelling in without registering Steve at all. “I’ve been thinking about it and I think we can get better lift if we use a different motor. So maybe we have restructure the motor housing but if we do, it’ll start to -”

“Harley, what the fuck?” Tony asked flatly, glaring at the kid.

Steve tensed. He wasn’t great with kids himself, but it didn’t like seeing them get yelled at. His estimation of Tony was starting to drop.

“What? It’s Friday.” the kid said, not seeming bothered by Tony’s snapping.

“It’s Christmas Eve, you little shit. Your mom will have my head on a pike. What are you doing here? Go home.” And now Steve could hear the affection laced under the harsh words, and he could see the way Harley rolled his eyes and leaned into Tony’s space, clearly unbothered.

“But it’s Friday, and I know we’re so close on the arm issues. And - oh - I could help you with this, what's this?” He tapped the edge of Steve’s car with one hand.

Tony set his tools down and grabbed Harley by both shoulders. “Harley, I’m thrilled by your enthusiasm, really. And the fact that you, you know, know what day of the week it is, because lord knows I don’t. But it’s Christmas and your mom terrifies me so take your adorable, albeit very badly behaved baby robot, scuttle on home, and I don’t want to see hide nor gear of you until the New Year, got it?”

Harley sighed with his whole body. “Alright. Can I email you though? Because I don’t want to forget this and -”

“Yes, yes, email me all the things.” Tony made a shooing motion. “Oh wait. One sec.” He hoooked the back of Harley’s hood with one finger until he stilled then hustled off through the door into the office. Harley watched him go, noticing Steve for the first time.

“Hey.” Harley waved.

“Hi.”

“This your car?” he asked.

“Yes.”

Harley nodded, peering into the car’s innards. “You’re kind of fucked, aren’t you?”

Steve opened his mouth, though he had no idea what he was going to say, when Tony banged back through the door. He had three wrapped packages in his arms, and he shoved them at Harley. “There you go. Get lost, brat.”

“Oh wow, thanks, Mr. Stark.” He started to poke at the wrapping paper.

“Oh for the love of god, don’t do that here! I don’t wanna see - go go go! I can already feel your mom breathing down the back of my neck.”

“Okay! Sorry. Thanks. Thank you!” Harley turned to go, shooting a wave at Steve. “Good luck with your car! Bye! Thank you.” He disappeared around the corner, then reappeared. “Merry Christmas!”

Tony rolled his eyes, but he was smiling affectionately.

“Seems like a nice kid,” Steve said carefully.

Tony chuckled. “Yeah, he’ll do. His mom works late on Fridays so he comes here and I trade shop help for robotics lessons.”

“You know robotics?”

“Yeah, I have some, you know -” Tony waved his hand distractedly towards the far wall of the shop. Steve looked up, but there was so much there it hardly helped.

“‘Some’?”

“Uh - some PhDs.” Tony waved his hand again, then went back to the car and Steve noticed that between a BBB Excellence Award and very dead looking potted plant was a shoved together set of four picture frames with what looked to be diplomas in them.

“Oh. Wow.”

“Aren’t you going to ask me why I’m a mechanic?”

Steve shrugged. “I dunno. I guess they’re kind of similar?”

Tony shot him a smile. “Kind of. I just really like cars, mostly.”

“Well, it’s good that you’re doing what you love,” Steve said.

Tony leaned against the car bumper and watched Steve for a moment. “What do you love?”

“Art.” No hesitation.

“You doing it?”

“Yes. Well, sort of. I try.”

“Good.” Tony went back to the car.

Steve was fully thawed now, warmed on the outside from the blasting heat and on the inside form the tea. He shrugged out of his jacket and crossed the floor to stand by the car, looking down at it dejectedly.

“Alright, Tony, just tell me. Harley said I was fucked, is that true?”

Tony bit his lip and muttered, “Only if you ask nicely,” under his breath.

Steve was instantly torn between saying, “Please,” and crawling under his car to curl up and die, but Tony went on.

“It’s not great, but it’s doable. Basically, you just want to get home, right? I can patch things together enough that it'll hold out. But after this drive, I never want you getting behind the wheel of this car again, got it? It’s a death trap.”

“Alright, got it. It’s going straight to the junk heap as soon as I’m close enough to get on a bus, frankly. I should have just spent my money on a bus ticket in the first place.”

“The sealant has to set though, at least twelve hours, better if it’s more like eighteen. So I can get her running tonight but you can’t head off until tomorrow morning at the earliest.”

Well, shit. Steve ran a stressed hand through his hair. He didn’t really have the money for a hotel, and he had no idea how much this fix was going to cost. He might be able to squeeze both onto his credit card though… “Alright. Where’s the nearest hotel? The cheaper the better.”

Tony laughed. “Uh, sorry sweetheart, but we don’t have hotels. I don’t know if you noticed coming in but we barely have a grocery store. This is a one horse town - his name is Jeff - the best we have is Lacey’s B&B and she goes to bed at 8:30 so even if she would take a guest on a holiday, it’s too late now. She wakes for no man.”

Steve’s hands clenched on the edge of the car hood. This was just getting better and better. He supposed he could sleep in his car, if Tony was kind enough to close the garage doors and leave the heat on.

Tony laughed again, and it wasn’t unkind. “Aww, don’t look like that. I’ve got a guest room upstairs. We can watch cheesy holiday romcoms and braid each other’s hair.” He winked.

Steve gaped. “Are you serious? No, I couldn’t…”

“Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve put up a wayward wanderer. Plus, it’s Christmas, right? You can help me eat the massively oversized dinner Pepper almost certainly snuck up into my fridge.”

“I.. don’t know what to say. I honestly don’t really have another option. I mean - shit - _thank you.”_

Tony brushed away his thanks dismissively. “You’re not, like, a serial killer who targets mechanics by breaking down on holidays, are you?”

Steve chuckled. “Not recently, anyway.”

Tony caught his eye and grinned. “Mmm sassy, I like that. Alright, I’m going to finish this up and get it setting, and then we can go up and eat. I’m starving.”

As soon as he said it, Steve’s stomach rumbled. He hadn’t eaten since the morning when he’d stopped for a gas station doughnut. He’d been so cold and pissed off and _done_ that hunger had completely been pushed to the back of his mind, but now he could feel it. He drifted away, leaving Tony to focus on his work, and wandered through the workshop, not touching, but peering at anything that caught his eye.

Now that he knew about the robotics, he could see that half the workshop was more about that than the cars. Not that he really understood any of what he was seeing. It was cool though.

“Alright! That’s it.”

Steve turned to see Tony wiping his hands off on the cloth. It didn’t seem to be making anything cleaner, just sort of moving the muck around. Steve followed Tony to the side door. Tony reached up and smacked a button and two switches. The garage doors rumbled down towards the ground, the hum of the heater faded and the music cut out.

Tony led the way through the office, down a hallway, then up a set of stairs to a door. He typed a code into the pad on the door and pushed inside. It was clearly the space above the shop and it was beautifully done. The floors were hardwood, the kitchen sleek granite and stainless steel. It was all in sharp contrast to the rough, dirty shop below.

“Wow, nice place,” Steve said.

“Thanks.” Tony disappeared into the small bathroom in the hall. He left the door open and Steve saw him scrubbing his hands as he walked by. Steve shuffled into the living/dining room and hovered awkwardly, wondering what he should do. He had grabbed his bag from the car, and he tucked it in the corner by the couch, not sure which room was the one he was going to be using. He’d be more than happy on the couch, but Tony said he had a guest room. All the other doors were closed though, and Steve didn’t want to just start opening things.

Tony appeared a moment later, his hands clean, though the rest of him was still a mess of grease and oil. He tugged open the fridge and smiled.

“What would I do without her?” he muttered to himself. “How grossed out will you be if I eat before I shower? I’m starving and I’m just going to end up with bread crumbs all over me anyway.” Tony flashed Steve a brilliant grin.

“Not at all. Frankly, I wouldn’t want to have to wait while you shower either.” Though he wouldn’t mind the glimpse of Tony he might get if he chose to change with the door cracked.

Tony started hauling tupperware out of the fridge, and once Steve had an idea of what they had, he was able to help. They worked together in quiet synchronicity, unpacking food and getting out plates and utensils. It wasn’t long before Steve found himself feeling unusually comfortable in Tony’s space. Tony gave off this air of absolute unflappableness which set Steve at ease.

They sat to eat, Steve at one end of the small rectangular table and Tony at his left. “So, you didn’t tell me why you’re open on Christmas Eve,” Steve prodded.

Tony scooped cranberry sauce on his turkey. “You didn’t tell me why things didn’t work out at your aunt’s.” He cocked an eyebrow then laughed when Steve smiled. “I’m always open.” He shrugged. “I’d just be working anyway. Might as well be useful.”

“Well, I appreciate it.” Steve paused, considering. He decided to go for it. “It didn’t work out at my aunt’s because they found out I was gay, and they didn’t think that was a valid lifestyle choice,” Steve said steadily to his green beans. He felt pretty confident that Tony wouldn’t mind - he’d been flirting with Steve pretty steadily all day, after all. Even if he wasn’t actually into men, surely he wouldn't be bothered that Steve was. Then again, it would be almost funny to get kicked out of his second Christmas dinner for coming out before dessert.

Tony stared at him for a moment. “Assholes,” he said finally, around a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

Steve couldn’t help it, he burst into laughter. “Yeah, that sums it up pretty well.”

They were quiet for a moment, then Tony spoke, softly and uncertain. “I haven’t actually talked to my family in over fifteen years.” Steve set his fork down, waiting, sensing there was more. “They were always disappointed that I became a small town mechanic instead of joining the family business. They basically paid me off to keep myself out of the press, and now they pretend they don’t have a son.”

Steve poked at his food. As much as he wanted to say, _At least you have parents left,_ he knew that wasn’t fair. “You made a new family though, it seems like. Here. You’ve got Pepper and Happy and Harley.”

Tony brightened. “It’s true. Blood isn’t everything, right? I’m happy with my life.”

“That’s good.”

Splitting up the pie defused the tension, and soon Tony was telling stories of his early robotics project successes and, more hilariously, failures. The lights were low, and it was just the two of them, and Steve found himself forgetting that they barely knew each other. It was cozy and intimate at the table, and they leaned in over their pie, voices low and hushed until they broke into regular bouts of laughter.

When the meal was over, Tony stood and shoved all the dishes onto the kitchen counter, holding up a hand to stop Steve when he tried to rise and help. Steve found himself deeply regretful that dinner was over. He was enjoying spending time with Tony but soon they would go to bed and then, the next morning, Steve would leave. He wondered if it would be weird to ask for Tony’s number. He’d love to call him some time. Or maybe his email? Was that less desperate?

“So.” Tony leaned over the back of his chair, eyes on Steve. “I don’t want you to feel at all obligated, or like I only invited you up here to get something in return - seriously I would have offered you a place to stay even if you had the sexual appeal of a steamed yam, but, well, obviously not an issue - but anyway, I did catch you staring at my ass a few times -”

Steve opened his mouth to protest? Agree? He wasn’t sure, but Tony barrelled on.

“- so I just want to you know that it’s a hearty yes, if you’re interested.” Heated eyes raked over Steve again. “So, that door is the guest room.” Tony pointed. “And that door is my room. And if you happen to get them mixed up in the night, there will be absolutely no complaints from me.” Steve opened his mouth again, and Tony held up a finger. “You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted you to know so there wouldn’t be any confusion. I’m going to grab a shower before bed. Just holler if you need anything. Towels. Water glass. Lube.”

Tony flashed him another beautiful smile then stood. As he walked past Steve’s chair, Steve shot to his feet which left them standing chest-to-chest by the kitchen island. Tony’s eyes slowly drifted up to meet Steve’s. Steve slipped his arm around Tony’s waist - and maybe he was testing the reaction, and maybe he was gearing himself up, but it was Tony who leaned in for the kiss.

And, well, after that, it was pretty much no holds barred. Steve tightened his hold on Tony’s waist, slotting their body’s together while Tony’s hands came up to cup Steve’s jaw. His thumbs hooked under Steve’s jaw bone and tilted his chin to the side, pushing the kiss deeper, filthier, and there was no question what Tony was offering him.

Tony started backing up towards the bathroom door, and Steve let himself be dragged along with him. Tony pulled away long enough to turn the shower on, while Steve let his eyes drift over the curve of Tony’s ass, the stretch of his legs, as he reached for the tap.

“You want a shower too?” Tony asked, with a twinkle in his eye. “Or just here for the show?”

Steve smirked. “I could use a shower too. But I’m also hoping for a show.”

Tony grabbed the hem of his tank top and peeled it off sinfully slowly, revealing an endless stretch of sculpted stomach and chest. Steve could see the dips and curves of years of hard work. There was a vivid scar in the centre of Tony’s chest, over his heart, but he didn’t mention it and Steve didn’t ask.

Tony’s hands went to his belt buckle, and Steve couldn’t hold back anymore. He stepped forward and worked Tony’s pants open himself. While he worked the zipper down, Tony tugged at Steve’s shirt. They danced through undressing each other, finding each others mouths again when they were both clear of their shirts.

Naked, Tony guided them into the shower, and Steve took the opportunity to take in the man he was with, acres of beautiful skin freed now. It wasn’t like his clothes had left much to the imagination, but Tony naked was a glorious sight. He moved easily and confidently, stepping back under the rush of water and closing his eyes as he tipped his face up to let the spray wash through his hair.

Looking was great, but Steve wanted to touch even more, so he stepped forward and hooked both hands around the back of Tony’s neck, brushing them up through his wet hair, working tangles out of the wild strands. Tony smiled, but didn’t open his eyes, dropping his own hands down and leaning into the touch.

It was surprisingly intimate for what was obviously a casual one night stand, but Tony didn’t seem to think it was weird, and once Steve had scrubbed shampoo through Tony’s hair and rinsed it, he spun Steve around and did the same for him.

Steve was properly warm for the first time since he’d left his aunt’s house, the heat from the shower tingling against his chilled, sore skin until he was the same temperature as the water. Tony grabbed a giant towel from a rack in the corner and wrapped it around both of them, using it to tug Steve close, giggling. Steve used the opportunity to press kisses over Tony’s brow, down the side of his face, across his cheeks.

They made it into Tony’s bedroom, and Steve sat on the edge of the bed, watching as Tony let the towel slip to the floor. It was cold, but Steve was still heated from the shower and from watching Tony.

Tony rummaged through a drawer “So, what do you want, gorgeous?” he asked. “Top or bottom?” He held up a condom and a bottle of lube.

Steve tugged Tony’s hips between his legs and started pressing kisses across his stomach. “Do you have a preference?”

“Nope. Either is fine with me.” Tony pressed lightly on Steve’s head, and he chuckled then shifted lower, breathing hot air on the base of Tony’s hardening cock.

“I’d like bottom then, if you really don’t mind.”

“Not at all.” Tony bit a mark into Steve’s chest, then pushed at Steve’s shoulders until he tipped backwards,. He crawled up to straddle his hips, but before he could get settled, Steve grabbed his waist and flipped them, covering Tony’s smaller body with his own. “Mmm, take charge. I like that.” Tony ground his cock up against the inside of Steve’s hip.

Steve grabbed the bottle of lube and Tony’s wrist and slicked his fingers. Tony watched him with a sort of amused appreciation. Steve swiveled around, then guided Tony’s hand to his ass while he dipped his mouth to lick his way up Tony’s cock.

Tony hissed and twitched up, and then Steve felt the brush of fingers against his hole. As Tony worked a finger into Steve’s hole, Steve slid his mouth down over Tony’s cock. They both moaned as Tony found Steve’s prostate, and Steve’s nose hit Tony’s thigh. Steve matched Tony’s rhythm with his mouth, as Tony fucked him with his fingers, working him open. The pad of Tony’s thumb pressed against Steve’s perineum as he worked Steve’s prostate from the inside, and Steve lost his pace for a moment, sliding off Tony’s cock to suck in a breath and let it out as a moan.

“Like that?”

“Fuck yeah.” Steve rocked back on Tony’s fingers and felt a bead of precome form on the head of his cock. “Too good.” He pulled forward until Tony’s hands fell away. “I could come like that.”

“Wow. Well, as much as I want to see that proven true, I have other things in mind.”

“Me too.” Steve turned back around so he straddled Tony’s thighs. He sat back and opened the condom, then rolled it down over Tony’s cock, slick with his spit and leaking precome. Tony arched into the touch, his mouth falling open as he watched Steve’s hands stroke lube down over his cock.

Steve shuffled forward and lined up the head of Tony’s cock. Tony’s hands settled on his thighs. Steve started to sink down and - _god -_  that was incredible. He was stretched wide, every nerve set alight. Tony’s hands clenched and his eyes went wide, his breath losing rhythm. Steve loved that moment, watching his partner slide in for the first time, and Tony was an amazing sight.

They set a rhythm together, Steve rocking forward, and Tony lifting his hips up. It was perfectly full and overwhelming in that heart-stopping, breath-catching, needy way that had Steve’s hands clenching and releasing on Tony’s wrists.

When his legs started to complain, Steve slipped off and braced himself on his hands and knees, giving Tony an encouraging look. Tony smirked and sat up on his knees. He shuffled in behind Steve and pressed a series of slow kisses down Steve’s spine.

If Tony was teasing to get Steve back for taking control, his resolve didn’t last long. Steve felt blunt pressure and then Tony was filling him up again, snapping his hips so he hit deep and long on every thrust.

“Oh fuck,” Steve whimpered, dropping his face down on his forearm as he rocked back on Tony’s cock. Tony’s hand slipped around Steve’s waist and wrapped around Steve’s cock, a little slick still from earlier, but not enough that Steve couldn’t feel the rough skin of Tony’s hand. It was perfect. Steve lost himself to sensation, hardly registering Tony’s noises of pleasure, or time passing as he pushed back onto Tony’s cock then thrust forward into his hand.

Steve’s orgasm built steadily, his balls tightening and electricity crackling over his skin as he reached the peak. “I’m going to -” he choked out, and gloriously, Tony didn’t change his rhythm, gripping Steve’s hip in one hand, his cock in the other and fucking him right into coming. Steve broke, shooting over Tony’s hand and clenching down on his cock.

“Shit, shit,” Tony groaned. “God, that was amazing, You are so fucking gorgeous, I can’t -” Tony moaned and dropped his hand from Steve’s cock, snapping it to his other hip. He fucked into Steve in earnest now, no care for finding the spots that made Steve moan, just slamming into him over and over. Steve was wrung out and a little sore and oversensitive in the best possible way. He arched his back, pressed backwards into Tony’s thrusts and just took it.

Tony’s rhythm faltered, and then he slumped over Steve’s back, pulling close and whining, long and low, while he pulsed hot in Steve’s ass. After a moment, Tony pulled back and they both moaned as they parted. Steve let himself fall onto the bed, avoiding the wet spot, while Tony tossed the condom aside.

Tony grabbed the towel from their shower and wiped them both off half-heartedly. Steve already felt the pull of sleep and before he could bother asking if he should go to the guest room, Tony was curling over him and settling in to sleep. Steve hooked an arm around his waist and pressed his face into Tony’s hair. He smelled like shampoo and still - so faintly - like motor oil.

Steve was asleep in minutes.

**

Steve woke in the grey light of dawn. He stretched and felt a pleasant soreness radiate through his body. There was a hum from next to him, and then Tony curled into his side, pressing his face into Steve’s neck. Steve startled away then laughed. “Your nose is ice cold.” He pressed his hand over Tony’s face, his palm covering the tip of his frigid nose.

Tony burrowed into the warmth. “I guess I forgot to turn up the heat. It was pretty hot last night.” He winked and Steve chuckled.

“It was.” He tugged Tony half over his chest and kissed him leisurely, running fingers through his wild morning hair. Apparently sleeping on it wet meant each strand decided to do its own thing. It was adorably mad scientist. “Good morning.”

“Morning.” Tony worked his way down to Steve chest and apparently wasn’t satisfied with the marks he’d made last night because he immediately sucked another bruise over Steve’s collar bone. The spot was still sore from where Tony had worked it with his teeth last night, and Steve hissed in a gasp. “And what a lovely morning it is.”

Tony rolled off the bed, wrapping his arms around his middle with a shiver, and peeked out of the curtains. “Hey! It’s snowing!”

Steve stood, coming up behind him so he could look out on the street below. It was raining torrentially. “It is not!”

Tony turned and wrapped his arms around Steve’s waist, scraping his nails lightly across his back. “Got ya.” He bit his bottom lip and grinned.

“Now I’m cold,” Steve whined, leaning into Tony’s hold.

“Well, I need coffee, and I didn’t want to be cold alone.”

“Evil.” Steve smirked then pushed forward so Tony’s back hit the glass of the window. He yelped and squirmed away, writhing against Steve’s chest and sending a rush of blood south. Steve laughed, then released Tony who slipped out under his arm then pressed both of his chilled hands to Steve’s ass.

Steve growled and spun after him, shoving him back on the bed and collapsing on top of him. Tony’s legs came up to wrap around Steve’s waist and pull him close. His squeaks of displeasure at the cold air turning to moans of pleasure as Steve dropped his lips to Tony’s neck and ground forward against him.

“Oh fuck, that feels good,” Tony arched up into him. He paused Steve with a hand then shoved further up on the bed so Steve could stretch out beside him. Tony took Steve’s cock in his hand and stroked. They kissed lazily while Tony’s clever fingers worked Steve fully hard again.

Tony squeezed some lube on his hand from the bottle that was on the dresser from last night and threaded their legs together so he could take them both in hand. The twin sensation of Tony’s hot, slick hand and the press of his cock against Steve’s was dizzying. Steve grabbed Tony’s thigh and hiked his leg over his own hip, dropping his hand to get a handful of Tony’s ass.

Tony moaned and shivered when Steve squeezed, so he let his fingers slip down between Tony’s legs. He cupped his balls, pulling gently, then pressed behind them. Tony bit his lip and drew Steve back into a heated kiss. Steve’s fingers moved tentatively, but it wasn’t until Tony said, “Go for it, champ,” against his lips, that he circled his hole.

Tony groaned and his grip tightened which made Steve see stars. “Yeah, like that,” he muttered, and Tony adjusted his hand then gripped tightly again. Steve couldn’t stop his hips from thrusting forward into the circle of Tony’s fingers.

Steve swiped his finger through the lube on Tony’s stomach, then went back to teasing Tony’s hole, working the tip of his finger inside. Tony rocked into the sensation, little broken gasps leaking out between his gritted teeth.

“Fuck.” Tony’s whole body tensed, and this time, as he came, Steve got to watch his face. His mouth hung open in a silent moan, eyes pinched shut, and he shot hot come over his hand and Steve’s cock.

Tony’s grip didn’t falter, he leaned back a little and let Steve push into the ring of his hand instead of stroking them both. He kept his cock pressed against Steve’s even though he must be sensitive, and the hot pressure and the knowledge that Tony’s come was mixed into the lube he slid into, drove Steve right up to the edge.

When Tony saw he was close, he claimed Steve’s mouth in another bruising, biting kiss and Steve cried out and added his release to the mess that covered them both. They breathed heavily for a moment, twined together in the middle of the bed.

“Mmm,” Tony eventually hummed. “Okay, that was amazing but now I _really_ need coffee.” He leaned over and kissed Steve’s forehead in a way that said, _Feel free to stay in bed,_ but Steve got up and pulled his boxers on when Tony did and followed him to the kitchen. He found himself unwilling to spend time alone in bed when he could be with Tony for a little longer. Yesterday, all he’d wanted was to leave, get home, have this be over. And now, all he wanted was to stay.

He perched on a stool and watched Tony putter around making coffee and putting bread in the toaster. They were both quiet, but Tony kept shooting him these sweet looks from under his lashes. Steve figured he was probably beaming or something himself, but in the post-orgasm morning haze, he couldn’t be bothered to be embarrassed.

Tony slid a mug across the counter and put a plate of buttered toast with jam between them. “You want anything else? I don’t usually eat much in the morning.”

“Me neither. This is perfect.” They nibbled the toast and sipped their coffee quietly, enjoying the peaceful morning.

“You have -” Tony smiled and swiped his thumb across the corner of Steve’s mouth, then stuck his jam-covered thumb between his own lips and sucked it clean. Despite coming less than an hour ago, Steve’s cock made a valiant effort to get hard again.

They fell against each other's mouths again while they tried to get dressed, licking bitter coffee and sweet jam from each other's tongues. Steve let his hands wander all over Tony’s body, memorizing every curve and bend of his muscles. Tony reached up and took Steve’s face between his hands. “Guess we should get you back on the road, gorgeous.”

Steve’s heart fell. “I guess so. I have to work tomorrow.” It felt like an excuse for not staying, but Tony hadn’t suggested he would want him to stay.

“Too bad. I was hoping you would protest.” Tony laughed and pulled Steve close again. Steve tried to convince himself that he could call in sick, but he really couldn’t. He needed the money desperately, and he knew they didn’t have anyone who could cover his shift.

“Me too,” he admitted. “I wish -” he cut himself off.

“Wish you could stay longer,” Tony finished for him.

“Yes.”

They kissed, easily and without purpose, until Steve couldn’t ignore the clock any longer. If he didn’t leave soon it would be getting dark by the time he hit the city. They finally pulled apart with a sigh and finished getting dressed.

Tony led the way back through the dark, quiet office into the workshop. He flicked the heat on and the doors open, then set to work puttering around in Steve’s car. Steve sat on the same bench he’d been on yesterday and sipped the rest of his coffee. He watched Tony’s muscles tense and flex as he dug around inside the car’s guts. Eventually, less than an hour later, Tony slammed the hood down and turned to face Steve, leaning against the bumper.

Steve walked over and leaned against Tony, pressing him against the car. “All done,” Tony whispered, as Steve brought their foreheads together. “She’ll get you back to Brooklyn, but be careful. And promise me you won’t ever drive this car again.”

“I promise.” Steve didn’t move, and Tony didn’t either. Steve realized, like the rush of heat after you take a shot of something too strong, that it wasn’t just that he didn’t want a good time to end, it was that he was feeling something for Tony. Something strong and real and new. Something he hadn’t felt for a long time.

But Tony stepped away to put his tools back on the bench, and there was no avoiding it any longer. Steve had the shop number - maybe he’d call to let Tony know he got home again and see how he reacted. Maybe Tony would want to stay in touch…

“How much do I owe you?” Steve asked the question he’d been avoiding. No matter how much it was, he couldn’t afford it. He saw Tony hesitate, and he winced - even more awkward would be if Tony tried to give it to him for free. He opened his mouth to insist, but then Tony walked off towards the office, and Steve waited for him to come back with an invoice.

Instead, when he returned he had a business card in his hand and he was scribbling on it. “You do art, right?” he asked as he stepped back up into Steve’s space - too close for acquaintances, too comfortable for passing ships.

“Uh - yes? I mean, yes, I paint. But why?”

“Send me something.” Tony held out the card, and Steve saw he’d written his personal email and the address for the upstairs apartment on the back. “I got to do what I love -” he gestured towards the car “- show me what you love.”

And, _fuck,_ if he wasn’t careful, the answer to that question could be, _you._ “Are you sure?” Steve asked, eyes fixed on the card.

“Yes.” Tony hooked his hand around Steve’s arm and stroked lightly with his thumb. “And, you know, if you wanted to use any of that contact info for other reasons too… I wouldn’t mind.” Tony smiled at him, but there was a hint of uncertainty there.

Steve scrambled to pull his phone out of his jacket pocket. He took a picture of the card first - it would be just like him to lose it - then typed out a quick text. Tony’s phone chimed from his back pocket and he pulled it out, tipping it to show Steve with a smile.

_Steve :)_

“Cute.”

“I’m always cute.” Steve tucked the card and his phone in his pocket and pulled Tony towards him. He wrapped his arms around Tony’s shoulders and buried his face in his neck unabashedly.

“I’m in New York sometimes,” Tony whispered. “My best friend lives in Manhattan.”

Steve’s arms tightened. “Good.”

“I’ll actually, uh, I’ll be there next month. If you -”

“Yes.”

Steve could feel Tony’s grin against his cheek.

When they finally parted - after a long enough goodbye kiss that it was more like a goodbye makeout session - Steve climbed in his car and started it with his fingers crossed. Tony clapped his hands together, pleased, when it turned over right away. He came over, and Steve rolled down the window. Tony leaned down, hands braced on the roof.

“Merry Christmas, gorgeous.”

Steve grinned - he’d forgotten it was Christmas today. “Merry Christmas.” He grabbed Tony’s collar and pulled him in for one last kiss, then Tony stepped away as Steve started backing up.

He struggled to keep his eyes on the road instead of watching Tony’s shop disappear in the rearview, but as he hit the open road, rain pummeling down, with Tony’s tiny town nothing more than a blurry shape behind him, he found himself grinning from ear to ear. He had Tony’s number, Tony was going to visit New York in a month. Maybe this was the beginning of something wonderful.

Steve’s pocket vibrated with three texts in rapid succession, and he laughed.

He knew exactly what he was going to paint for him.


End file.
